Words are a dangerous weapon
by ValentineElaine
Summary: Words are a dangerous weapon and no one knows it better than Jack and Phryne.
1. Chapter 1

**I have a sports injury :(  
So I have time, sorry about the new story, I know I have to finish two others but I felt like it.**

 **Valentine**

* * *

Dot was standing in her nightgown on the stairs. The slamming of the front door had startled her. So she left her room to sneak to the front door. What Dot saw was not an accidentally slammed front door. She saw Miss Phryne leaning against the closed front door. She looked down and sniffed slightly. The urge to speak to Miss Phryne was stronger than simply going back to her room to forget everything.

"It's ok."

Dot heard it softly from Miss Phryne's mouth and was surprised by her fragile voice. Both did not have eye contact. Miss Phryne was still looking down and did not move.  
"You can go back to your room," said Miss Phryne, sniffing in a tear-suppressed voice.  
Dot did not know what, but her inner feeling told her it would be wrong to go back to her room and let Miss Phryne alone. As Phryne noticed the Dot was still standing on the stairs, she looked up with a tear-stained face in shock.

"Is the police car still at our door?" Dot asked quietly and avoided the Inspector's name.

"No!"

"OK!" Dot nodded and pulled Miss Phryne into her arms. Phryne lost the fight with her tears and leaned into Dot's protective hug. Mr. Butler pretended he did not hear about all this. which was difficult for him but important for Miss Phryne. Dot did not talk to anyone about Miss Phryne's tearful collapse last night. He never took place and a police car never stood in front of the house.  
Phryne did not blame Jack, it was not her nature. Their fresh relationship made them both haughty and both fell deeply.  
Both began to distance themselves and it was unavoidable that everyone in the coming weeks got an idea of what might have happened. Everyone wanted to know, but no one dared to ask them.  
The wildest stories were invented. From an illegitimate child to betrayal, you could hear everything on the street. However, nothing was right and Phryne and Jack did not tell anyone.

"Good morning, Miss," Dot said as she happily entered the kitchen with a bunch of flowers.  
"Morning, Dot," Phryne said with a smile, looking at the flowers in Dot's arm. "Are the flowers from Hugh?"  
"Yes, Miss. No matter what you said to Hugh, he's more attentive now, if that's even possible. The flowers are still beautiful. Do you want the flowers? "Asked Dot with the full vase from yesterday.  
"No," said Phryne. "because they are your flowers." Dot nods and understands what Miss Phryne wanted to tell her. "I would do anything for you, Miss. I would even forbid Hugh from coming here, just so you will not be reminded of the Inspector."  
"That's nice of you Dot, but not necessary, you do not need to limit your love life because of me."  
"We do not have a love life yet, Miss," said Dot shyly, looking into the bouquet of flowers in the vase.

Phryne started to grin. "My sweet Dot, he sends you flowers. That's love."  
"Are you sure," Dot asked with red cheeks. "Absolutely, Dot, your relationship is precious, more precious than mine." Phryne said with sad eyes.  
"No, Miss. Your relationship with the Inspector was something very special." Phryne looked at Dot. "Was, is past and therefore no longer part of my future."  
"I feel uncomfortable," said Dot and quickly grabbed the vase on the table.  
"Why ? "  
"Because I'm happy and you're not."  
"Enjoy your young love as long as possible," Phryne said. " Because there will be times when you will break or grow."  
"Does that mean that your love for the Inspector was not strong enough?" Dot asked with wide eyes. "No, our love was strong enough, only our imagination and our haughtiness let us fall deeply."  
"And ..." Dot asked.  
"And, what?" Phryne asked.  
"I feel that you wanted to say something else, you just broke off." Dot said.  
"You are almost better than me." Phryne said with a smile.  
"I'm learning from the best and I will bring the flowers to my room now. " Dot looked at the bouquet of flowers with red cheeks.

"Morning, Inspector," Hugh said cheerfully with a grin on his face. Jack sat at his desk and looked up at Hugh.  
"You look happy, Collins." Hugh nodded proudly. "I gave Dottie a bunch of flowers."  
"I hope a big one." Jack said.  
"Yes, bigger than he should be, but Dottie gave me a smile for it. Tomorrow I'll give her flowers again. Just to see her smile. "  
"News?" Jack asked.  
"No, only Miss Fisher and I are now friends for life."  
"An incredible alliance." Jack said and looked through his paperwork.  
"I had an argument with Dottie, Dottie started to cry and I left the house like a coward." Jack looked up, thinking of his own quarrel with Phryne. He still had that sound of broken glass in his ear and Phryne's voice shouting at him.  
"Inspector?" Hugh asked confused, eyeing the Inspector wide-eyed. Hugh did not know much, rumors were the only thing he heard. "Is everything okay, I can stop talking about Dottie." Jack put down his pen and looked at Hugh.

"Why does everyone think I'm an invalid?" Hugh was serious during his answer.  
"Because you broke up with the best woman in the world. That was inappropriate, sir.  
I apologize." Jack could not be mad at Hugh because it's the truth. He just disappeared from Phryne's house that night, without saying anything, without saying goodbye.

Jack cleared his throat, "Who says we're broke up?"  
"It's hard to talk about a relationship when you're not in touch with each other."  
"Collins!"Jack said, pointing to the door. "One more thing, sir," said Hugh in the doorway. He could not shock Jack.  
"Inspector, sir, you can take anything from Miss Fisher, just not your love. Miss Fisher is different ... "

"I know!" Jack said. Jack was shocked by Hugh words. Phryne was indeed different.  
"Do you all know what happened?" "No, sir, there are only rumors."  
"Does Phry ... I mean Miss Fisher, did she say something?" Hugh was still standing at the door shaking his head while the phone started to ring. Excuse me," Hugh said quickly, Jack nodding.

Jack leaned back, thinking of his quarrel with Phryne. The allegations were a lie and every time Jack closed his eyes, he saw Phryne's eyes, full of tears but did not have the permission to run down her cheeks.  
It was amazing what everything was in this little body. Phryne was not to blame, she just defended herself, he knew that and could not be angry with her anymore. But he had this one case. A woman who had a husband and 4 lovers and the wife was so cold and selfish and played with the hearts of men. He just threw his annoyance on Phryne. He was sorry, but Phryne distances herself from him and he had to accept that.

"Hugh, I'll be right back!" and Jack hurried through the door. Hugh had no opportunity to say anything and merely nodded.

Mr. Butler opened the door and looked at the Inspector. Jack was not sure if Mr Butler knew anything about it.  
"Miss Fisher, you have a visitor!" and nodded to the inspector. Was he just friendly or just polite? Jack wiped his wet hands on his pants and stood in the open doorway.

"Jack ?!" he heard Phryne's voice, it was more a question than an invitation to her house.  
Phryne stood at a safe distance from Jack by the stairs and just looked at him. He saw dark circles under her eyes, which she tried to cover, but they were still there, visible to everyone.

"I have to talk to you." Jack said, swallowing at the door. Jack knew, if he did not start, nobody would start.  
 _ **"... Because you are not able to love! "**_ Jack heard his own words in his ears as he shouted at Phryne that night and Phryne stared at him. This look will eternally pursue him in his dreams.  
"You have already said everything!" Phryne tore him out of his thoughts and left a brutally sore wound.

 _ **"... you play with the hearts of will-less men to then throw them in the dirt ..."**_ Jack heard his own voice in his ears and had to swallow. "I didn't mean any of those things, Phryne," Jack said and saw tears in her eyes.  
"When I left you that night. I hoped you'd ask me to stay." Phryne looked away and put her arms protectively around her body.  
"You did not given me a chance." Jack just nodded and knew that she was right, he left her no chance to say something as he hurried out of the door.  
"You were cruel ,brutal, scathingly. But you did not defeat me. " Said Phryne and just looked at Jack sadly. "Words are a dangerous weapon, Jack."

"I'm so sorry about us ..."

"There is no us." Phryne interrupted him and Jack looked into her sad eyes. He knew that she was lying. A tear ran down her cheek. Jack could say so much to her now, promise so much, give so much, but it did not reverse that night. He had destroyed Phryne's trust it was lying on the floor in shards in front of them. But neither tried to pick it up. Both just stared at the shards of their ruined confidence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter and thank you for the nice words. :)  
**

 **Valentine**

* * *

Phryne was awake at night. She had to think of her words, which were as brutal as his.  
 **"Why don't you find a wife?"** Phryne turned to the other side and looked out of the window.  
 **"Because you have no feelings!"** Phryne turned on her back and looked at her closed door. Memories, feelings, everything rushed through her head and prevented her from sleeping. Sleep that she really needed. Phryne got up, poured herself a glass of Scotch and sat down at her open bedroom window.

 _"Jack, what a wonderful surprise," Phryne said at the door to the parlour. Jack nodded and looked at Phryne. "I found time." Jack said. "I'm so happy." and Phryne smiled with a glass of scotch in her hand._  
 _"Nightcap?" and handed her glass to Jack. Jack drank it in one gulp and entered the parlour._  
 _"I had a difficult day today, I'm confused and do not know what to think. Everything is more important to me. I just came here to see you and to kiss you. I always want to kiss you, because you're everything to me." Phryne grinned, took the glass from Jack's hand and set it on the table.  
_  
 _"I'm here," said Phryne seductively. Jack threw his coat on the floor and ran to her. Her back bumped against the nearest cupboard and she bit her lower lip to keep herself from screaming. The edge of the cupboard pressed into her back and Jack kissed her neck in frenzy and didn't notice her pain. A sigh of pain and Jack looked at her for a moment._  
 _"Kiss me here!" Phryne said, pointing to her lips. Jack grinned, and continuing to kiss her neck. A strange feeling rushed through Phryne's body, the situation began to become opaque._  
 _"Jack!"  
And after a second, Jack pushed away from Phryne's body. So Phryne repeatedly felt the edge of the cupboard in her back. "What's up with you?" Phryne said. She left the cupboard looking for something without a cupboard in her back. Phryne had seen so many men's eyes that she knew what was happening._

"Jack, I want you to go home now, take a cold shower. Tomorrow we'll talk about what happened here."  
"No!" he said. "You play with the hearts of will-less men to then throw them in the dirt!"  
"What did you say?"  
"You heard me!" Jack said upset.  
"Jack, how much did you drink today?" the situation threatened to escalate.  
"God Phryne, I'm not one of your old friends, you can not rule over me like a Queen."  
"I do not control anyone, Jack. Only about those who allow it." "Phryne!" Jack got loud and leaned against the wall with one hand. "Phryne..."

A knock on the door pulled Phryne out of her memories and looked up.  
"Miss," said Mr. Butler. "Mr. Butler, what happened?" Phryne got up and walked to the door.  
"A phone call for you."

"Miss Fisher speaking ... Yes! ... Where? ... What's he looking for? ... What did you say? ... Yes, I'm on my way." Miss, what happened?" Dot asked at the door to the dining room in the nightgown.  
"Mr Butler, I need something to eat, but not for me and I need ... Dot give me the blanket, the big one on the wardrobe."  
"Can we do anything else, Miss?" Mr Butler asked and glanced at Dot. " No, Thank you, Mr B."

***  
Phryne stopped with her Hispano in front of the police station.  
"Miss Fisher" Hugh stood at the door, looking over his shoulder again and again. Much has happened this night, especially with the Inspector. Who has to spend the night in a police cell.  
"Hugh, can you tell me now what happened and why I should come in the middle of the night."  
"The Inspector," Hugh said outside the door. "I had to arrest him for drunk driving."  
"Jack drunk at the wheel?" Phryne asked in confusion. "That's a joke." and followed Hugh through the door.  
"No, unfortunately not," said Hugh, and indeed Jack's office was empty. "The Inspector is weird," said Hugh, looking over his shoulder to police cells. "In what sense strange, Hugh. Have you never seen a drunken man?"  
"Many, Miss, but not, he is ..." Hugh looked over his shoulder in the middle of his sentence.  
"Convince yourself, Miss. You know the way."

In front of the police cell, Phryne and Hugh looked at a man who did not look like Jack. Elbows on his knees, his head lowered."Jack?!" Phryne asked.  
What both saw, however, was only a man who raising his hand to silence both."He does that all the time, if you talk to the him." Phryne nodded. "I have biscuits for you, Hugh," and handed him a bunch of biscuits. Hugh understood and gave her the keys. "If you need me, just call." said Hugh with a biscuit in his hand.

"Jack?!" Phryne started again and entered the cell. "Drunk driving! I'm asking you Jack, since when do you do something so reckless." "And that comes from the woman in front of me!"  
Phryne rolled her eyes and put the basket on the floor next to her.  
"How fast did you drive?"  
"Fast!"  
"Jack, you don't drive faster than a milkcar." Jack snorted contemptuously.  
"I will always be Mr Fisher." Phryne looked at him in confusion.  
"Mr. What?"  
"No matter how hard I try, I'll always stay Mr. Fisher. I can do what I want." Now, Jack looked up and Phryne looked directly at Jack's black eye. Phryne reached for the knife that lay on the tablet on the wooden bench.  
"Take this, press it against your eye. Even if that does not make much sense anymore. " Jack struggled by not taking the knife and just looking at Phryne. Jack closed his eyes for a moment.  
"Your eye does not look good, let me ..." "Please, Phryne ..." Jack said desperately.  
"That's all I should do for you." Jack looked at the basket next to her. " What do you mean?" Phryne asked, sitting down on the corner of the bench at the door.

"I should take care of you, like a knight, right?" and winced as he accidentally touched his eye.  
Phryne started to smile. "But knights do also very different things, talk for example." Jack looked up, nodding. "Who gave you the black eye?" Phryne asked.  
"Nobody."  
"Jack, if I'm called in the middle of the night because you've been arrested, I have the right to know what's going on."

"Ok, I defended you. One guy said you were a harlot."  
"Jack, but your face."  
"I won the fight," Jack said.  
"Let me see your eye, my proud knight," and Phryne got up from the bench.  
"Pain," Jack said while Phryne touched his eye with her fingertips.  
"Do not move!"  
"I don't move, nurse, the pain moves me."  
"Your lower lip, does not look good, Galahad," said Phryne with a smile.  
"Everything for my Queen."  
"Let me take a closer look," Phryne said and kissed him, soft and careful. "Nothing I said on that particular night was true." "Shhh..." whispered Jack and put his finger on her lips. Phryne kissed his fingertip. "I have a blanket for you." "No," Jack said. "You need the blanket more."


	3. Chapter 3

**The next chapter :)**

* * *

Hugh," called Phryne. Hugh stood quickly in front of the open cell door and wiped biscuit crumbs from his Uniform.  
"Miss Fisher?"  
"I'll take the inspector with me now, so you will not have any trouble with him." and grinned at Jack over her shoulder.  
"But Miss..."  
"Phryne is right, law is law." Phryne looked annoyed at Jack. "Then I'll pay bail for you." Hugh looked with open mouth to Phryne. "Bail?" Hugh asked the inspector in confusion. "Collins, there are some documentation in my desk for such a situation." "Yes Sir."Hugh nodded and disappeared. Silence. Than Phryne heard it, Jack's office door.  
"Now that Hugh is busy looking for documents in your desk, we can go," said Phryne sweetly after seeing Jack's serious face. "Jack, I do not break the law, I just stretch it out a bit. While Hugh is searching, we can wait at my home or do you have a better suggestion." When she did not get an answer, Phryne nodded took the basket and keys. "Phryne, if anyone notices that I'm gone. Big trouble for Collins." "No one's going to notice, now get up to come with me."  
"Phryne, this is about his job."  
"I'll talk to him tomorrow, I've got everything under control," Phryne said at the cell door.  
"You've said that many times before and had no idea what you were doing."  
"Let's go." and smiled at him.  
"I do not feel comfortable with that."  
"Do you want to discuss that with me, here, now, in this cell?" Phryne asked annoyed. Jack thought for a moment. "No, not here, you're right." and left the cell with Phryne.

Jack stood behind Phryne while she was watching the entry door. "Phryne! You told me that you do not break the law." "Jack, you are a friend of mine, how long do you know me?" Said Phryne over her shoulder. When Phryne saw no one else, she gave Jack a quick sign to go to the door.

While Hugh searched the documents in the desk drawers, he did not notice that Phryne and the inspector had left the police station. He was only surprised that the cell was empty when he stood proudly with the documents in front of the cell. Hugh rolled with his eyes and closed the cell door.

***  
"Inspector ?!" Dot said surprised when she saw the Inspector in the Parlour. Phryne looked over her shoulder as she knelt in front of Jack to put a cold cloth on his eye. "Long story Dot, long story." Dot swallowed and looked at Jack with big brave eyes. "You are not here ... you know." Phryne grinned. "Dot, you can go back to your room."  
"Good night, Miss, Inspector."  
Jack looked at Phryne, who was still kneeling in front of him. "You told her?"  
"I did not have to tell her, I would have wondered if nobody in the house had noticed." Silence spread in the room. Nobody said anything. "I had to think about your words." Phryne said and stood up. Jack looked up and nodded. "Me too."  
"Jack, can you tell me why the situation escalated like that?" Jack took the cloth off his eye and asked Phryne to sit down.  
"Three men came to me and said their wife is threatened. We took these words very seriously. One of the men was her husband. The other two were the lovers of his wife. Every one of them said she is threatened. The three men should ... " Jack could not finish his sentence.  
"I overreacted, the whole day this woman did not go out of my mind, how can a woman be so cruel. Her husband loved her and she wanted ... I destroyed us. I destroyed our approach to a relationship."  
"Oh Jack," he could see his pain in her eyes. He was glad that she understood what he wanted to say.  
"You have nothing destroyed Jack. I am disappointed and my trust has a deep crack. But we are human beings and now we know our weaknesses, especially your weaknesses." Jack smiled and pushed the cloth back against his eye. "It seems that the Honourable Miss Fisher has no weaknesses." "Oh Jack," she said with a grin. "I just do not tell anyone."  
"I think it's too early for a new try, right?" Jack asked.  
"Nightcap?"  
"That's what I thought."  
"Jack, two nights ago you said I could not love and other unfriendly things." and handed him his Scotch.  
"That's right," Jack said. "But you also said, I had no feelings so we would complement each other very well."  
Phryne grinned. "Cheers," and raised her glass. "Cheers." and Jack raised his glass with a grin.

***  
Cec and Bert sat in the kitchen talking to Mr Butler. "Miss Fisher," Cec and Bert said as they both looked up. "Because of you, there was a fight last night." Bert grinned while Cec reached for his coffee cup. "Good morning, Cec and Bert, I heard about it last night."  
"From whom?" asked Bert.  
"Good Morning."and both saw the Inspector come into the kitchen. Jack nodded and looked at Phryne.  
"My fight has already got around?" Jack asked in the round and Cec and Bert started to grin. "Of course Inspector, your heroic fight does not stay secret for long. Gregor, I think he even lost a tooth." Cec frowned at him.  
"That's what everyone said, Bert. But we did not see that."  
"Did you really spend that night in a cell, Inspector?" Bert asked with his coffee in his hand. Jack glanced at Phryne and both started to grin.  
"Ahhh..." said Cec and Bert at the same time. "The rumors, are they all true?" Bert asked, eyeing Miss Fisher and the Inspector at the same time. Phryne I take a piece of toast from in the middle of the table and smiled at Bert.  
"An eternal secret, Miss?"  
"I'm afraid so, Bert."  
"The Inspector was the only one who defended you, Miss."  
"Gregor is not a nice one," Bert said annoyed and looked at the clock on the wall. Phryne looked at Jack with a slight smile from the side. "We say goodbye," and Bert left the kitchen. "You both want to be alone, right?" Cec said grinning as he walked past Miss Fisher.  
"Coffee, Inspector?" Mr Butler asked with the coffee pot in his hand and new cups on the table.  
"Thank you Mr. Butler," Jack said a little nervously and sat down. Mr. Butler gave a fleeting grin to Miss Fisher as she ripped her toast into pieces, lost in thought.  
"Coffee Miss," Phryne looked up. "What?"


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter :)**

* * *

"Coffee, Miss?" and Mr Butler showed the coffee pot. "Oh yes, thank you, Mr. Butler."  
"Phryne, we have to talk to Collins," Jack said after a sip of coffee. " Do not worry, Hugh will not lose his job." Phryne took the coffee cup from Mr Butler's hand. "Jack, do not forget sunglasses when we leave the house. Your eye could..."  
"Scare the people?" Jack asked.  
"No," Phryne said with a smile. " But your eye is a bit sensitive after the fight." Mr. Butler left the kitchen after hearing the phone. Phryne put her cup on the table, walked around the table and looked at Jack`s black eye."My proud hero." Phryne looked at his lips.  
"Do you want me to kiss your injured lips?" Jack tried to smile and looked at her blood red lips. "If I had known that..." he whispered against her lips. "I would have..." and he pulled Phryne onto his lap. "...earlier..."  
" Kiss me!" Phryne said.

"Inspector, telephone," Mr. Butler stood in the door to the kitchen and Jack looked over Phryne's shoulder. "I'm coming Mr Butler, forgive me Phryne," Jack said and he lifted her from his lap. Phryne stood beside the table and looked at Mr Butler.  
"I'm so sorry Miss and will the Inspector stay until lunch?" "I do not know that. We have to talk to Hugh first." Both noticed that Jack came back and leaned against the door frame. He looked down and then in Phryne's face.  
Both noticed that Jack came back and leaned against the door frame. He looked down and then in Phryne's face.  
"It was noticed after Hugh's shift." and Jack had to hide his anger. "They also found in the locked cell a blanket. The blanket did not belong to the police station." Phryne nodded.  
"Is that all you have to say? A nod!"  
"At the moment, yes."  
"Phryne we are stuck in a serious situation, this is not a game."  
"I know," said Phryne, and Mr. Butler left the kitchen. He did not want to be there when both began to discuss. "Do you have a plan?" Jack asked. "I still have time, right?"

***  
"Hugh?" called Phryne through the police station. "Here Miss!" She heard Hugh from another room.  
"What are you doing in this room?" Phryne asked and Hugh looked out of the room. "I do not know where else to sit, because it's debated if I can keep my job. For now I'm jobless, I think."  
"Hugh, you do not need to sit in a storage room." Jack punishes Phryne with a serious look from the side. "Excellent work, Phryne!" and Jack pulled Phryne at the elbow to the side. Hugh stood in the door to the storage room and watched both.  
He was confused because he did not know if he had a job tomorrow and if the Inspector or Miss Fisher could change that. "Inspector, please do not be mad at Miss Fisher, it was finally my decision to give her the key." Phryne grinned at Hugh.  
"I know you're a gentleman Hugh, but this is about your job." Hugh swallowed while he nodded.  
"My decision, my consequences." Phryne was about to say something but Jack's office door opened and a man she did not know was standing in the doorway.

"Mr Collins?!"  
"Yes, sir!" Hugh said, stretching his shoulders.  
"Do you have something to say?" a quick glance from Hugh to Miss Fisher and he shook his head.  
"No,Sir!"  
"But I have something to say," Phryne said in a strong voice, passing Hugh and disappearing into the office. Hugh looked at the Inspector. "I have no idea Collins." and answered his silent question. Did he want to know what Phryne had planned? After all, she did not even have one in the kitchen.

***  
"Gentleman," Phryne said in Jack`s office. " I learned one thing ... " "What did you learn, Miss Fisher." asked one of the men sitting behind Jack's desk. "That always the both of you visit certain women." and Phryne looked at the other, leaning against the wall.  
"Miss Fisher," said the man behind Jack's desk, leaning forward. " You have no evidence, after all, almost every man does." Phryne nodded and leaned over the desk. "But not at your re-election ..."  
"OK, OK, what do you want ?" "I do not want money, I have it myself. I want that Hugh keeps his job."  
The men looked at each other for a long time, but without saying anything. "For your discretion?" Phryne nodded and a handshake of both men sealed their deal.

"Mr. Collins?" said one of the men from the office door.  
"Yes, sir!" Hugh said nervously beside the Inspector and wiped his wet hands on his pants.  
"You keep your job." Hugh looked speechless at the Inspector.  
"Collins," and the man at the door had Hugh's attention. "You have very good friends." and Phryne stepped out the door to Jack, who was still leaning against the wall. Phryne gave Jack a cheeky grin.  
"How, Phryne?" Jack asked. "No, I do not want to know, certainly something against the law." Hugh disappeared with his uniform under his arm.  
"Inspector!" heard it both. " We need to talk!" Phryne looked at both men seriously. "I do not think so." One of the men pressed his lips together while the other spoke. "Your discretion Miss Fisher!" "Gentleman!" Phryne nodded and left the police station through the door.  
"Inspector?" one of the men approached Jack even though he was leaving the police station. "A good tip among men, Robinson. Do not allow, that your little doll always has the upper hand." Jack looked at him with anger. "If you have something to say, say it!"


End file.
